Sunday, May 11, 2014

For this assignment I chose a to analyze the editing form a scene of the movie The Life of Pi. The scene I chose is one of the most important scenes in the movie since it signifies the change of the relationship between Pi and the tiger. Prior to this scene, the tiger held all the power because Pi feared him and was inferior to him. In this scene Pi takes a stand and starts training the tiger which leads to him being the superior on the boat.
The editing does a great job in visualizing this change of power. The shots are from three different perspectives, either from Pi looking down at the tiger, with the camera placed directly above Pi's shoulder, the tiger looking up at Pi, which makes Pi look tall and powerful, and lastly a shot from the side of the boat that shows both Pi and the tiger and how far from each other they stand and the way they are positioned to each other. By editing those three shots after each other, the changing relationship becomes clear. The color of the scene stays the same throughout the scene and most of the movie. It's coloring is very warm even though Pi is in a terrible situation. It foreshadows the friendship Pi and the tiger will eventually form and the calm of the ocean in contrast to the powerful storms it can produce. There is no music in this scene until the very end of the scene. The silence of the scene, with only diegetic sound, which in this case is the sound of the ocean and the boat rocking back and forth, makes it thus more powerful. The silence represents the tension of the scene. In this moment Pi takes the initiative to train the tiger and be the tiger's superior. This is very dangerous, since the tiger is a wild animal that might at any moment jump out at Pi and attack him. This tension is more effective without a musical score. In the end, when the music does start, Pi has finally managed to get the tiger into a corner of the boat under a sheet where the tiger will remain and at that instance the music works as a sound of relief and a transition into the next scene.
This movie is full of amazing scenes that should all be analyzed. It's an amazing movie and an even better book. I highly recommend it!
Peace and Love,
Isabel